Splice-bar.



E. WETHERBEE. S-LICE BAR.

APPLICATION FILED 33.24, 1912.

1,046,697, Patented Dec. 10, 191.2.

EXC.

flttomu @M www APH co.. WASHINGTON. D. c.

EDGAR WETHERBEE, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

srLrcE-B'AR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10,1912.

Application led February 24, 1912. Serial No. 679,572.

To all whom t mag/concern:

Be it known that I, EDGAR WETHERBEE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented new and useful Improvements in Splice-Bars, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relatesl to rail joints and more particularly to the class of splice bars for joining the meeting ends of railway rails.

The primary object of the invention is the provision of a rail splice bar in which the abutting ends of rails may be united without the use of fish plates and bolt. members, thereby avoiding the necessity of perforating the webs of the rails for receiving the bolt members and thus assuring maximum strength thereto.

Another object of the invent-ion is the provision of a splice bar wherein rail ends can be seated, the said bar being formed of separable, interlocking sections thereby doing away wit-h bolts or other fasteners, the rails being held against lateral displacement but being permitted to expand and contract without the possibility of sagging of the same at the joint.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a splice bar in which are received the rail ends the same together with the bar being adapted for fastening to cross t-ies by means of spikes or other fasteners common to both of the same, thus preventing the creeping of the bar or the lateral displacement of the rails.

A still further object of the invention is Mthe provision of a splice bar in which the meeting ends of the rails will be securely supported without requiring the positioning of a cross tie at the point of juncture of the ends of the rails.

With these and other objects in view the invention consists in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a top plan view of a splice bar showing rail ends therein and fastened to cross ties. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. A is a perspective view of one section of the bar. Fig. 5 is a similar view of the other section.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views in the dra-wings.

Referring to the drawings by numerals 5 and 6 designate the meeting ends respectively of railway rails of the ordinary wellknown construction, and which are adapted to bev seated within ay splice bar presently described.

The splice bar comprises a pair of complementary shapedrseparable interlocking sections each formed with a base 7 provided at its outer, longitudinal edge with an upwardly and inwardly bent clamping flange 8, the same being co-extensive with the base and is adapted to overlap the bases of the rail ends. 5 and 6, the flange of one section being engaged with bases of the rail ends at one side thereof while the flange of the other sectionv engages the bases of the rails at the ,other side thereof. The sections of the bar are disposed in juxtaposition and in parallel relation to each other so as to extend longitudinally with the rails, the sections being superimposed upon cross-ties 9 which are spaced apart at a required dist-ance, the ends of the bases 7 of the bar sections being designed to rest upon bearing plate 10 thus avoiding the wearing away of the cross-ties due to vibrations incident to the travel of heavy loads over the rails, the sections being secured to the ties in a manner presently described.

Formed at the inner edges of the bases 7 of the sections of the bar are down-turned fins or wings 11 provided with reversely beveled edges 13, the wings or fins 11 terminating at opposite ends of the bases 7 of the bar sections and are designed to materially reinforce the said sections so as to avoid the use of a cross-tie at the point of abutment of the meeting ends 5 and 6 of the rails. v

Formed on reversely beveled edges respectively of the wings or fins 11 are laterally and upwardly bent locking flanges 14 which are designed to receive the remaining beveled edges of the said fins or wings thereby locking the same together so that the said sections of the bar cannot spread apart but will be securely fastened together for the clamping of the rail ends 5 and 6 therein. Cut into the outer edges of the bases 7 and flanges 8 of the sections of the splice bar are spike or other fastener receiving notches 15 and likewise cut into the bases of the rail ends 5 and 6 are similar notches 16 which are designed to register with the said notches for receiving spikes or other fasteners 20 which are'adapted to be driven into the cross-ties 9 for the secure anchoring or fastening of the splice bar and rails thereon, it being understood of course that the plates 10 are suitably perforated at 21 to receive the fasteners 20, for allowing the same to be driven into the ties. The splice bar will sustain the rail ends rigidly united, and will obviate the lateral displacement thereof yet y' will permit the expansion and contraction of the rails without the possibility of sagging of the rail ends at the point of abutment thereof with each other.

It is apparent that the employment of fish plates and bolt members is avoided thus assuring maximum strength to the rails at the point of the joining therebetween.

What is claimed is v l. A splice bar comprising a pair of sections having bases and rail engaging flanges rising from said bases, a wing formed on and depending from the inner edge of each base and having reversely beveled edges, ,y

Vand reversely upturned locking Ytongues edges respectively of said wings for engaging and overlapping the remaining free beveled edges thereof, the said sections being provided with fastener receiving notches cutl into the bases and rail engaging flanges thereof for receiving fasteners to secure the said sections to a cross tie.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDGAR WETHERBEE.

lVitnesses HARRY WETHERBEE, C; L. CAMPBELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained foi` Afive cents each, by addressing the Commissioner` of Patenti- Washington. ID. C.A 

